1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to surgical drainage systems and more particularly to an underwater drainage apparatus which is adapted to be connected to the pleural cavity of a patient for draining fluid and gases there from. The apparatus is of the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,363,626 and 3,363,627 and in copending patent application Ser. No. 621,591 filed Oct. 10, 1975 for "Attachable Expansion Chamber for Pleural Drainage Device".
2. Background of the Invention
In the aforementioned U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,363,626 and 3,363,627 issued to Bidwell et al, issued Jan. 16, 1968, a general explanation of the purpose and function of an underwater drainage apparatus is setforth as well as giving a brief explanation of the lung structure and of the human breathing function.
Numerous other devices have been developed to maintain a vacuum in and to drain the pleural and thoracic cavities. In addition, numerous improvements have been made in the devices disclosed in the abovementioned patents. For example, improvements are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,559,647; 3,783,870; 3,847,152; 3,853,128; and 3,809,085. The devices disclosed in all of the foregoing patents are generally classified as three chamber systems since they provide one chamber for collecting fluids drained from the body cavity, a chamber for maintaining a water seal on the collection chamber, and a chamber for regulating the amount of vacuum in the device.
In the above mentioned prior pending application Ser. No. 621,591 there is described a pleural drainage device of the three chamber type having an attachable fourth chamber which is adapted to serve as an additional collection chamber. As set forth in the copending application quite frequently it is desirable to connect more than one thoracotomy tube to the body cavity to be drained. For example, one thoracotomy tube could be connected to a low point in the pleural cavity which would collect most of the liquid from the cavity and another thoracotomy tube could be connected to a higher point in the cavity where some liquid together with gases could be removed. Prior to the use of the device disclosed in the prior application referred to, it was necessary to utilize two separate pleural drainage devices, one device being connected to the lower point in the pleural cavity and the other device being connected to the high point in the pleural cavity. Alternatively a single pleural drainage device could be used with the tube leading from the collection chamber having a Y connection so as to provide for connection to two thoracotomy tubes. However, it was not possible with such a device to determine the source of the liquid collected within the collection chamber.
Thus, there has been need for a drainage system which utilizes a single vacuum source and yet provides separate collection chamber for each thoracotomy tube. While the device disclosed in the prior patent application hereinbefore referred to, met some of these needs, it was found desirable to provide a single device previously assembled which provides two separate collection chambers and has an overfill chamber to indicate excessive drainage from the upper drainage site in the pleural cavity.